Obsession Never Dies
by TabbyKat
Summary: A/U UNDER MAJOR RECONSTRUCTION Trouble from Mai's past comes to light as the team takes a case at a truly haunted hotel. As if that's not enough, Mai's powers are increasing and branching out making things all the more difficult for her. Previously "Troubled Past"
1. Taniyama Mai

**_Review please. Also advice is happily received, please, but if you don't like it tell me what you don't like instead of just saying it sucks. I don't own Ghost Hunt or any of it's character. The one's I make up are free to be used, name and general character, but the actual writing is mine so please don't plagiarize, not that you really have any reason to._**

**_REWRITTEN_**

My name is Taniyama Mai; I'm 18 years old and a full time assistant at Shibuya Psychic Research where I started working two years ago part time. Having worked here that long I've been through quite a lot of paranormal circumstances. Poltergeists, ghosts, will o the wisps, curses, possessions, demons which are not fun, and grudges which can be similar to curses but the aggressor may be unaware they're doing wrong. That only covers what we've come across while I've been employed at SPR.

There have also been some not so paranormal cases, like the human who thought he was possessed by a vampire. It was almost laughable, except that he actually bit people and drank their blood before killing them. There was also the fact that he was fixated on making either Masako or myself his bride after we got there to investigate. The guys were pissed; I don't think I've ever seen Lin so overtly protective before. So was Ayako, come to think of it, but that may have had something to do with the fact that the guy didn't want her.

Throughout it all I only occasionally lost a single night of sleep, and I was always able to catch a nap during the day. So why is it that I'm now standing in the washroom touching up my make-up, which I almost never wear, to try and cover up the fact that I haven't slept in three days? I don't know why I can't sleep. I've had this horrible feeling that something awful is going to happen; not to mention the intense feelings of deja-vu I've been experiencing recently.

Taking one last look in the mirror I realize that I've been lucky so far today. If anyone takes a close look at me, they could easily see my pasty skin tone and the bags under my eyes. Thankfully there's only two hours left before I can leave for the night, unless something comes up. Kami-sama forbid! Now I just have to concentrate on not shaking and I should be ok.  
Of course, I should have known better than to ask for a quiet day. A few minutes after I got back to work the door opened allowing a burst of warm damp air, and a tall man, to enter. When I say tall, I mean he's actually an inch or two taller than Lin-san who towers over me.

"Welcome to Shibuya Psychic Research. May I help you?" I said getting up from my desk chair and bowing respectfully.

"My name is Hirotaka Shin. Mr. Shibuya is expecting me." He replied gruffly completely ignoring my bow. Before I could answer or move to go inform my boss of the client's arrival, his door opened.

"Hirotaka-san, this way if you please, Mai, tell Lin he's arrived and bring some tea in." Meet my boss, Shibuya Kazuya; whom I nicknamed Naru, short for super narcissist which he still is, when I met him two years ago. He's only 19 and has been running his own business for over three years.

"Hai." I replied keeping my head down as I moved towards Lin's door. I hoped he didn't notice how wobbly I am when walking right now.

Lin is Naru's business partner and closest friend. While normally a very quiet and private person Lin has slowly opened up to me, especially since we had that talk last April. He told me he hated Japanese people for their treatment of the Chinese, and I told him not to hate me for being Japanese or an orphan. Somehow, by saying that, I reminded him of someone. It's only recently though that the 29 year old has started calling me by my first name.

"Lin-san," I call softly from the hall as I tap on his door which opens within a few seconds. "Hirotaka-san is waiting in Naru's office." I informed him still keeping my face averted.

Even though I was avoiding looking up I could tell he was giving me a measuring look. I quickly moved away to set up a tray of tea and treats.  
I'd discovered some time ago that Lin likes most types of fruit and that he adores sugar cookies; Naru prefers tea biscuits. I've also come to know that they'd rather not to eat any of those when they have a client or company present. So instead of their favorites I placed a plate of oatmeal cookies, ginger snaps, and chocolate chip cookies on the tray before placing it in Naru's office and heading back to do some more filing.

"Yo, jou-chan. I'll take an iced coffee." A man with long blonde hair said as he walked in half an hour later and mussed my hair in his way of greeting. He proceeded to throw himself down on the couch and grin at me impishly.

This is Bou-san, he's a professional bassist for the band Norio but he was raised as a Buddhist Monk on Mount Kouya. He's not an actual member of SPR though he may as well be. He helps us out with almost every case by exorcising spirits and whatnot. He's tall, a couple inches shorter than Lin's 6' 4", and very friendly. As I went about making his drink and preparing my own cup of tea, I turned the radio on low so that we could hear the news without bothering the meeting that was going on.

"Are you here for a visit Bou-san, or a case?" I asked just before Naru's door opened and the client left without a word to anyone.

"Naru-chan called me; he said something about a new case. Who was that just now Mai-chan?" Bou-san asked as Naru and Lin came out.

"Hirotaka Shin, age 43. Recently he bought a mansion that was used as a bed and breakfast until about twenty years ago. No one would even look at the place after the owners, staff, and guests staying there were killed at night in one mass murder. The assailant was never found, and the police ruled out the possibility of it being a murder suicide. Strangely enough, while everyone died at the inn on the same night, none of the victims died in the same way. Since then the house has remained empty and barely up kept by the family of the previous owners. After Hirotaka-san bought it and started renovating, there have been many mysterious sounds and accidents. Ghosts have also been sighted by several people. We're leaving at eleven tomorrow morning, be hear by nine at the latest." Naru said as he placed the tray of dishes I had brought in on the counter.

I nodded and reached for a cup to start washing it when the radio, which had been turned up by Bou-san, caught my attention. I stood there trying no to hyperventilate as the worst news I could imagine filled the silence. I could feel the anxiety building inside me as the others listened intently.

"_Breaking news! Kurosawa Nobu, a man who killed his wife and oldest of three stepchildren eight years ago has killed again. He was paroled earlier this week but his parole officer was found murdered this morning in his home. The parolee is currently missing and police all over Japan are searching for him in hopes of finding him before he can strike again. Kurosawa is also said to have a fascination with his stepdaughter who was ten at the time of her mother and brother's death. He is reported as having kidnapped the girl directly after the murder in an attempt to groom her into becoming his wife. The police found and arrested him in time to save the child. This reporter can only hope he doesn't find the poor girl again._"

Chink… Smash!  
The body of the tea cup in my hand crashed to the floor leaving me still holding the handle. The sound startled me out of my thoughts. This has been happening a lot lately at home.

"Gomen nasai. The cup must have had a flaw." I said as I noticed the confused and worried glances Lin and Bou-san were giving me. I started picking up the pieces trying to ignore the fact that Naru was staring at me intently.

Naru has always said that he can read me like a book so I kept my head down and tried very hard not to show my fear. Really I just wanted to cry. Kurosawa Nobu is my stepfather, if you could still consider him such after what he did, and I'm the one he kidnapped all those years ago. Taniyama was my father's name, my brothers and I kept it even after our mother remarried. My father died when I was three and my mother remarried when I was six. She married Kurosawa Nobu and was killed along with my eldest brother Kyuu four years later.

"When you're done the dishes you can go Mai. Get some sleep and don't be late tomorrow." Naru said after a long moment. I nodded and stood after picking up the pieces of broken porcelain. I hope he didn't notice how shaky I am. I really doubt I'll be able to sleep tonight either; not after that news.

My name is Taniyama Mai and I think I'm in a heap of trouble.


	2. Little Sister

**I don't own the anime, manga, and anything associated with it. The plot is mine though. **

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The next day found Takigawa Hoshou irritated as he drove towards Shibuya Psychic Research. He hadn't gotten a proper sleep from worrying about Mai. Then his worst nightmare had become reality; his coffee machine had broken. Really, he shouldn't go _near_ anyone before he'd had at least one cup of coffee in the morning. He hadn't bothered to stop anywhere for take-out coffee either, figuring he could just get Mai to make him a cup when he got to SPR. That thought brought him full circle to his original worry.

There was something wrong with Mai. Did she really think that no one would notice that she wasn't sleeping or eating properly? In the past month she'd become jumpy and her clothes were definitely becoming looser. Then, in the past three days, she looked as though she hadn't slept at all. They were all used to her catching a nap in the middle of the day if she hadn't slept, or if her psychic abilities were trying to tell her something. If that had been happening they wouldn't have worried. This time she'd gotten to the point where her skin was taut and pasty colored, and the bags under her eyes were so dark he'd been tempted to ask if someone had hit her. Naru and Lin had noticed this as well; but the most he'd gotten out of Naru, after Mai had left the previous day, had been a slightly worried glance before he'd gone back to his research. Lin had merely sighed and shook his head before going back to his office space.

The blonde monk was brought back to the present by a car horn going off behind him. After turning into the lot he signaled to pull into the only available parking spot left in front of the building; before he could, a black car swerved into it. Angry now he put his car in park where it was and jumped out as the other driver, a man his own height with russet brown hair and brown eyes, exited at the same time.

"Hey that's my spot!" Hoshou yelled at the man.

"Could you keep your voice down? You'll wake my little sister," The stranger responded in a commanding voice.

"Little sister?" the blonde asked in confusion as he wandered closer to the man's car.

He took a casual glance in and found Mai slumped in her seat against the door, fast asleep. He smiled in satisfaction seeing that she looked a little better than she had the day before. The girl was finally sleeping and if he had anything to say about it, she would be in his car on the way to the location sleeping the whole time he was driving.

"Ah. She is my younger sister by ten years. Who are you?" the man asked looking at him in a suspicious manner.

"My name is Takigawa Hoshou, but your sister calls me Bou-san. It's good to see her finally getting some sleep and it was nice of you to give her a ride. Sorry about earlier. Excuse me, but she never mentioned having a brother."

"My name is Taniyama Ryo, and it's already forgotten. I was only able to take custody of her after my position at work solidified. She speaks of you often. Will you be accompanying them on the investigation?" Ryo asked casually.

"Yes, of course. In fact, I should get in there and help bring the equipment out. Just let her sleep if you don't have to be anywhere yet. I'll explain to her boss." Bou-san had barely gotten the words out when the office door opened and Naru stepped out to the railing glaring down at them.

"Hurry up and come help! You're here to work, not talk the day away. The plans have changed and we need to get there as soon as possible," Naru called out in annoyance.

"Eh… Naru?" the soft feminine voice seemed almost to echo in the silence as Mai opened the car door and stepped out blinking sleepily. She stumbled into her brother who automatically steadied her.

"Geez he just had to wake her up," the blonde grumbled as he said his goodbye to Mai's brother and took off up the stairs mumbling about giving Naru an earful.

"Mai. Are you sure you want to go? It would be safer if you come with me and left Japan altogether until he's been caught," Ryo said seriously as he looked down at his sister and placed a concerned hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure. I'll be fine with them. It's not like anyone would think to look for me at a cliff side mansion halfway across Japan. I'll be _OK_, and if he's still out there after we're done, I'll tell Naru what's going on; and that I need to leave for a while. I'll join you then," Mai responded stubbornly.

"I don't like it. I wish you would tell them now, but if you're sure… Come on, let's go carry equipment before you piss your boss off," He said ruffling her hair affectionately.

Naru, who had just come out carrying equipment, felt a twinge of jealousy at the sight of a stranger acting so familiar with Mai. It deepened when she smiled brightly up at the brown haired man in an affectionate way. Naru didn't like seeing her with someone else; but until he was positive that she could love him back, he refused to take the chance that she would reject him. He'd originally given her the part time job to keep her close to him. He'd wanted time to examine why he felt the need to protect her, and why she seemed to draw people to her. As time went on he found that he was content in her presence, but his feelings for her had also increased leaving him frustrated.

"Mai, don't just stand there. We have to get the van loaded and get going," Naru ground out as he pushed the box into its proper place in the van. He took the next box from Lin who had followed shortly behind him.

"Roger!" Mai said before she yawned and ran up the stairs to the office.

"I want a word with you please," Ryo demanded, blocking Naru and Lin's path as they turned to go back up.

"If you want SPR to investigate a case, it will have to wait until we get back," Naru snapped testily, making Lin raise an eyebrow in well hidden amusement.

"I don't need an investigation. I want you to keep Mai safe. My little sister is the only family I have left and if anything happens to her…" Ryo growled out, looking dead serious.

"Sister? Taniyama-san didn't mention a brother?" Lin asked in surprise.

Despite working together with Mai for two years, the two men suddenly realized that she'd never talked about her family past telling them that she was an orphan. It struck them both as odd that her brother would only just now come to them to ask for his sister's safety when she had been on many dangerous missions before.

"I was too young to care for her when our mother died, and unable to be home enough to suit the court until recently. Believe me; it irritates me to no end that the court would rather trust relative strangers with my sister's welfare. I finally gained a steady enough position at work to be granted custody, only to find her living alone. The teacher who was fostering her allowed her to move out on her own after she got a job with you." The brown haired man grimaced in distaste as he explained himself.

"Of course she'll be safe. I would never let anything happen to my workers," Naru said seriously, feeling his jealousy recede.

"Thank you," Ryo replied with a bow.

"Oi, what's with all the serious talking going on out here? I thought you said we had to hurry up, Naru," Mai said as she managed to come up behind them unnoticed.

"Mai, let me take that," Ryo said as all three men moved to take the box from her.

In the end, Lin put the box in the van as the other three went to get more equipment and to find out what was taking Bou-san so long. They found him in the kitchen calmly sipping a cup of coffee with a look of bliss on his face. The peaceful scene was quickly shattered as Naru yelled at him to get to work. Mai and Ryo chuckled quietly as they continued making trips to the van, leaving Lin to set them up how he wanted to.

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The van was loaded by quarter after nine. The men were just putting the last of the luggage into Bou-san's trunk while Mai was saying goodbye to her brother.

"Mai there's something I want you to have. I found it when I was going through Dad's stuff in storage, it belonged to his mother. I know you don't remember him so I thought it would be nice if you had something from his side of the family. Grandmother was supposedly psychic too, and this was said to have kept her safe. There was a note with it explaining that all the women on Dad's side have had some psychic skill or another. I know you've been having trouble with your own abilities lately, so maybe this will help?" Ryo said fumbling over the words. He was clearly a little uncomfortable with the topic and had some difficulty getting the chain and pendant out of his pants pocket.

The pendant was in the shape of a diamond, set in orange gold, and opened into a locket. The diamond had a raised white gold circle on both the front and back with a protection charm overlaying it in orange gold. When she opened it, Mai discovered that there were words engraved inside that spanned both halves.

_To the daughters of my descendants_

_Fear not the powers growing within you_

_Open yourself and embrace who you are_

_Let your dreams guide you and always trust your heart _

"Thank you, Ryo. Be careful out there." With that, Mai hugged her brother one last time.

"Stay safe, Mai. Call me at any time if you want to leave or just need to talk. I won't pretend to understand everything you do Mai, but you can always talk to me little sister," Ryo replied kissing the top of her head.

"Come on Mai-chan. You're riding with…"

"Us. Mai is riding with Lin and me," Naru interrupted, staring the monk down as he stepped up to Mai.

"Yeah, sure," Mai said, slightly confused at the display as she went and climbed into the van next to Lin, who would be driving first.

"What was that about, Naru-chan? You're not jealous by any chance, are you?" Bou-san teased.

Naru chose not to reply past the glare he gave the blonde, much to the amusement of Ryo who was still watching. The black haired young man chose to ignore them and seated himself beside Mai as the van rumbled to life. Ryo walked over to the blonde's car as the monk prepared to follow the others.

"Watch over those two. They look like they could use a little help."

Hoshou could see that Mai's brother was quite serious despite his smirk. They had only just met, but it felt as though the man was trying to tell him something. Did he have psychic abilities like Mai? Was he trying to warn them about something that was going to happen? Or had something already happened that they didn't know about?

The van in front of him headed out of the parking lot before he could ask so he nodded to Mai's older brother before driving after it.

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"I'm a little surprised we haven't met your brother before now, Mai-san." Lin's voice was soft, and as he spoke he cast a short sidelong glance at the girl next to him.

It had taken nearly a year for him to become truly comfortable around her and another to get himself used to calling her by her given name. He'd offered her the use of his own given name but, like Naru, she chose to continue calling him by his surname.

"Ryo isn't really social. He's normally hiding in his lab when he's not at work. He's a biochemist, but he's taking a trip out of the country today so he drove me to the office. Besides, we only started living together about a year ago. I wasn't lying when I said I was living with a teacher before I came to work for you. There were circumstances that kept us apart before that. He was too young to take care of me at first, at least that's what the judge said," Mai's quiet reply was followed by a long yawn. She stared out the window for a few minutes before looking down at the locket in her hand.

"Naru, can psychic abilities be inherited?" she burst out about ten minutes later while examining the necklace.

"They can be, sometimes. Though what one person has may not necessarily be what their ancestor had. Gifts are generally different from person to person. For example, Hara-san is a medium that can both see and hear ghosts, however some mediums can only hear them, some can only see them. Others still only get a vague impression of them and the sense that they are there. Each person's gift is unique in some way, and each gift does not always get passed down the line, if they do at all. Other abilities may arise in a later generation and some may go dormant for hundreds of years only to pop up somewhere down the line. Why do you ask, Mai?" Naru queried, looking up from his research.

"Ah, um, it's nothing really. Just, my brother mentioned something about some of my Dad's ancestors having psychic skills," she replied.

She was blissfully unaware of the looks Naru and Lin shot at her and then shared over her head. Within half an hour Mai's head was nodding as she fought to stay awake. It wasn't long before she lost the battle and ended up slumped against Naru. After a moment of staring at her he shifted until they were both comfortable, her back was to his chest and one of his arms was loosely draped around her waist. He ignored Lins knowing look. After all, he knew he should enjoy this while he could. Besides, he could still read the files he'd brought. If she woke up he would just make the excuse that he couldn't move her off of him without pushing her into the dashboard, or into Lin who was driving. Despite his effort to read, it wasn't long until he also fell asleep both arms now wrapped around the slumbering girl.

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Mai woke with a start as the van hit a particularly deep pot hole. She was surprised to find herself leaning against Lin as Naru was now driving. She wondered, as she yawned and sat up, when they had changed seats and why she hadn't woken up. They were traveling down a dilapidated dirt road and now that she was awake Mai felt every bump and bounce of the deep littering it.

"I was beginning to think that you would sleep through the whole case. As it is, we'll be there after the next turn," Naru said gruffly keeping his eyes on the road.

"Ah, sorry. I guess I was more tired than I thought," She stuttered out blushing hotly.

"That's what comes of staying awake for so long. It's not good for you."

"Was something bothering you, Mai-san? Was there a reason you could not sleep before?" Lin interrupted before things could progress into an argument. He'd seen her anger building at his words and had hastened to disrupt it.

"No, not really… I didn't think you'd noticed… it was no big deal... really… oh look we're here!" Mai stuttered as Naru parked near the front entrance. Another glance was exchanged over Mai's head before they all exited the now stationary vehicle.

Carved white columns spanned from one end of the wooden porch to the other leaving approximately eight feet between each, except for the two that framed the entrance. Those two columns had fifteen feet between them, which allowed for an unobstructed view of the massive double doors.  
The mansion itself was huge. Five stories high, not including the attic or basement if there were such, and the outside was painted white and blue. There were several levels to the roof due to the two towers, which actually took it up to seven stories, and a few balconies that allowed views out over the cliff and ocean.  
There were too many windows to count in the short time it took Bou-san to drive up behind them. According to the copies of the report Naru had given them before they'd all left the day before; there were close to a hundred bedrooms which each had their own bathroom, one grand banquet hall/ballroom, a smaller and more intimate dining room, an entertainment room, a large kitchen, a tea ceremony room, a walk in refrigerator, a walk in pantry, a walk in deep freeze, a grand hallway, a large laundry room with more than a dozen of each washers and dryers, and several storage rooms.

Bou-san let out a low whistle of appreciation as the four of them approached the door. Naru knocked on the door before moving back a step so that he was beside Mai. He spared her a quizzical look as she was looking up with a look of curiosity on her face.

"X?" she said in confusion as she pointed to a beam above her head that indeed had a black X on it.

Bou-san moved a step towards Naru to get a better look at where Mai was pointing and all at once the wood beneath the girl dropped down. Mai barely had a chance to squeak in surprise before Naru and Lin each had a hold of her under the arms, barely allowing her to drop more than a few inches.

"Do you think you could refrain from falling down anything deep this time, Mai?" Naru asked in a slightly cold voice. He was trying to hide his worry.

"At least until I've unpacked the rope," Lin added under his breath as they put her back on the solid wood behind the trap door which slowly swung closed again as they all moved back to the door.

Before Mai could respond to the teasing, the front door opened to reveal an older, somewhat annoyed looking, gentleman in a black suit.

"May I help you?" he asked coldly, as though that were the last thing he'd like to do.

"I'm Shibuya of Shibuya Psychic Research. These are Lin, Taniyama, and Takigawa, my team. Hirotaka-san asked us to come today," Naru said confidently, neither his voice nor expression revealing his own annoyance at the man in front of them.

"Ah yes, the _ghost hunters_. Come in then. Mr. and Mrs. Hirotaka were called away for a few days suddenly, not long after they talked to you yesterday. They left instructions with me of which rooms to place you in, and which room you may use to set up your equipment. Fetch your luggage and follow me, I'll show you to your bedrooms first," the man said impatiently without introducing himself.


	3. I Wouldn't Do That

Mai sighed as she sat up in her bed. She'd been trying to sleep for hours now and it just wasn't working. Every time she closed her eyes she felt as though something was watching her. It didn't feel malevolent but it was so intense that she'd checked the spare electronic thermometer that she always kept with her on a case three times. However, the room gave a normal reading every time, indicating no ghost. Giving up on the idea of sleep, Mai put her slippers and robe on and headed for the room on the first floor the team was using as a base. The bedrooms they were using were all on the third floor and were close together. Only three rooms were habitable on this floor, the others were either in the middle of being remodeled or painted, so while Mai and Hoshou each got a room to themselves Lin and Naru were sharing a room that had two double beds in it. Mai's room, being a corner room of the house, was on one side of the hallway and had a balcony that looked out perpendicular to the cliff edge, and the three boys were on the other side of the hall in side by side rooms.

Mai was quiet as she crept along the hall and down the stairs, trying her best not to wake the others. She figured that she may as well monitor the equipment if she wasn't going to get any sleep. Reaching her destination, she closed the door behind her and flipped on the view screens, but left them recording so that Lin and Naru could go over them later. They had finally trained her in the methods they used to gather information from the base system last year to allow Lin more freedom to investigate with Naru.

After making notations about the temperatures the equipment was reading, Mai placed the headphones on her ears and started listening for strange noises while watching for activity at the same time. According to the owner, the ghosts seemed to both want to scare people away and keep them in the house. There were reports of people, workers and staff mostly, trying to run from the ghosts only to have the door of the room they were in slam shut while something dragged them to the center of the room and threw things at them.

At two thirty in the morning, Mai's eyelids started to drop and it wasn't long before she fell asleep with her head resting on her arms.

_**DREAM**_

_Mai was standing on the balcony of her room looking out along the cliff. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a girl come around the side of the house and when she turned to look she saw that the teenager was walking jerkily towards the edge with a piece of paper clutched in one hand. The clothes she wore were of a modern , which surprised Mai, but she shrugged it off, thinking more of the girl's safety than her apparel. Mai was about to call out to her when she felt someone step up behind her. Turning, she saw Naru shake his head with a look of regret showing plainly on his face._

_"She's already gone, Mai."_

_"I know this is the past Naru, but I can't help but want to warn her," Mai replied._

_Strangely, her boss shook his head negatively._

_"Yes, this is a moment of the past but that was not what I meant. Look closer," he insisted._

_Mai complied, wishing she were close enough to see the girl's face properly. Suddenly, she was. She was standing several feet directly in front of the crouched girl who had stopped to leave the paper on the ground anchored by a large rock. Mai gasped and took a step back in shock when she caught sight of the teen's face. The girl's eyes were so lifeless. It was like looking at a walking corpse. The girl continued her stuttering walk to the edge of the cliff and over it without hesitating. _

_Naru appeared beside Mai once again as she stooped down to look at the paper with tears running down her face. It was a suicide note dated for March of the previous year. Naru gathered Mai to him as she began to sob softly._

_"Her soul was gone! Her soul was already gone… How?! How is that possible? How could it just be gone like that? She was already basically dead, wasn't she?" _

_"It's powerful, Mai. You have to be careful. It isn't limited to those that are already dead," Naru explained as he held her close._

_**END DREAM**_

Mai awoke with a gasp, a few tears still running down her face. Her sight fell upon the monitor that showed the front doors and her eyes widened in fear. The doors were wide open and from the angle of the camera it was possible to see that the trap door was also gaping open. What scared her though was the shadowy figure standing on the open space. She blinked. When she looked again, the screen showed the front doors closed making her wonder if she'd imagined it. Mai checked the temperature reading for that area and nearly dropped her pen. Five degrees below zero.

"Anything unusual, Mai-_san_?" Lin's voice coming from just behind her made her jump in surprise.

"Lin-_san,_ don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry. You're up fairly early. Did you get any sleep last night?" Lin asked, suddenly looking closely at Mai.

"Some. I couldn't sleep at first so I came down to check everything and ended up falling asleep here. I just woke up when I saw something on the monitor for the front entrance. At least, I think I saw something. The temperature was down, I know that much for sure," Mai replied, suddenly unsure of just what she'd seen.

"What did you see? I should be able to check it against the tapes."

Mai explained the scene she'd witnessed upon waking while Lin looked over the information she'd taken down early that morning. Judging by the times she'd noted in the temperature records, Lin gathered that she couldn't have gotten more than three hours of sleep since he'd come down at about five thirty.

"Let's go get the tape and see if it showed up or not. I might be able to judge it better if I can see it," Lin said a moment later.

He'd already brought the tapes from the upper floors so the two of them went around the first floor gathering the tapes and adjusting the cameras slightly. Upon reaching the entrance hall Mai took a deep breath and walked over to the front door. Just as she was about to open one side of the double door the other swung open making her jump back with a yell.

"Are you alright? I'm sorry I didn't mean to frighten you. My grandfather and I live down in the village so we don't often spend the night up here. Oh, where are my manners! My name is Kawaguchi Tonma. I believe you met my grandfather yesterday. Don't mind him, he comes across as a bit of a grump. Really, you just have to know how to translate what he's saying. He's really relieved that you're here and so am I, because I'm really scared of ghosts. Oh… you are part of the team of ghost hunters, aren't you?" the short teenaged girl who had burst through the door said quickly as she stood maybe two feet away from Ma,i looking at her as if suddenly suspicious.

"Yes, that's them. Now quit you're gawking and get to work. You and your _team_ need to stay out of my way."

The butler who had let them in the day before came in behind the girl much more slowly, still looking like he'd rather throw them all out. There was no resemblance at all between the two. In fact the girl appeared to be fully Japanese whereas the elderly man was Dutch, they'd found out his name the day before to be Aldenberg and when Mai had asked it's origin, he'd told them before storming off. If this was the grandfather she was referring to then she either had mixed heritage or was adopted.

"By that, he means that I'm being rude and should mind my manners and not get in your way. He also said that he doesn't want to interrupt your work or be in the way so it would be best if we could figure out how to dodge each other," the girl explained.

"Just call me Mai. Yes, I'm part of SPR, and this is Lin-_san_," Mai said in a bit of a daze.

"There's no cook, so fend for yourselves," the butler said gruffly out of the blue as he walked down the hall away from them.

"By that, he means feel free to use anything in the pantry, freezer, and fridge. I can cook some if you like, but I'm not very good," Tonma said brightly.

"That's okay, I can cook our meals. Do you want me to cook for you and your grandfather at the same time?" Mai asked as Lin silently signaled that he would be back at the base.

"Thank you, but my grandfather prepares our meals before we come each day."

"Tonma, enough!" the butler called back.

"He means to say that I shouldn't bother you and that I should get to work," the girl said happily as she bounded down the hall.

Left on her own, Mai turned back to the door and stared at it. Steeling herself for what she was about to do, she slowly reached for the door again.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a child's voice rang out from behind Mai.

Whirling around with one hand to her chest, Mai came face to face with the ghost of a little girl. She was small enough to be mistaken for three or four years old but sounded closer to five or six. Looking closely, Mai was reminded strongly of a young version of Hara Masako, the medium they sometimes worked with, from the haircut right down to the kimono and the way she held herself.

"W… why not?" Mai stuttered.

"It's still awake. It won't be for long though, it just finished eating," the girl said as if it were the most obvious fact there could be.

"What is it?"

"It's okay now. It's sleeping again," the girl whispered as she disappeared.

"Wait, Kasumi!" Mai burst out, but the girl was already gone, "Kasumi? Where did that come from? She didn't tell me her name."

Mai shook herself and before she could loose her nerve she turned around and pulled the door open.

Nothing… there was nothing there. The trap door was closed and there was nothing on the porch to indicate that it had been.

"Maybe I did dream it after all. Oh well, I should get started on breakfast for the guys."

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An hour later, Mai was wheeling a large trolley towards the base. It was full of eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausages, toast, coffee and tea. Having made meals for the team before, she knew that the three men with her would easily finish it all. Bou-_san_ had a huge appetite and while Naru and Lin took smaller portions they would have two to three helpings if there was enough. She barely made it through the door before the monk fell upon the cart, going for the coffee. She was surprised when they didn't start eating right away and gave them a curious look.

"Dig in, guys. I ate while I was cooking." She'd had half a piece of toast, sort of, but they didn't need to know that.

The comment earned her a round of disbelieving looks, so she took half a piece of toast, the other half to what she'd nibbled at earlier. She was never hungry after a night of troubled sleep, if she slept at all on those nights.

"That isn't all you're eating, is it?" Bou-_san_ burst out.

"I told you that I ate earlier. Lin-_san_, did you find anything on the tape?" Mai said, attempting to change the subject.

The Buddhist monk stared at her for a moment longer before slowly filling his plate. Naru looked annoyed as he put together food for himself and Lin as the _onmyouji_ turned on a separate screen to show the tape of the front hall. Everything seemed normal at first, until both doors banged open and the trap door on the porch dropped. What looked like a hand reached up out of the open space before the picture suddenly showed only static. Lin fast forwarded through what must have been an hour of static on the tape until it started showing a choppy picture. Mai could just barely make out a figure standing where the trap door should have been. When the picture cleared up completely, it was just in time to show the front doors slamming shut.

"Whatever it was, it messed with the camera," Naru stated already having consumed his first helping.

"You told me not long after we met that ghosts can do that. That some of them don't like the equipment," Mai replied. "It's strange, though. The picture was clear when I saw it earlier."


	4. Concentrate

**_Sorry this took so long, there was a problem with email going on so I had trouble contacting my beta. Artemis Bloodshadow is a wonderful beta reader and has been very patient with me considering I haven't even told her the plot for the rest of the story. As it is my attention is kind of being split between this and another story for a different anime so I apologize in advance if it takes a while for me to update. Also any requests for things you'd like to see happen in this fic can be submitted by review and I will try to incorporate them if it doesn't stray too much from what I have planned. Any suggestions on ghostly events to happen will be greatly appreciated! So far I've been subjecting myself to a few horror movies ( anyone who actually knows me knows I'm a total chicken shit when it comes to horrors, especially if they include porcelain dolls)._**

**_Some small changes made thanks to a review pointing out mistakes by Kyia Star and one no one seemed to have pointed out that i just found._**

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My name is Taniyama Mai. I'm 18 years old, nearly 19 actually, and I'm in a bit of trouble… again. I was hiding in the attic and now I can't get out. You might ask who I was hiding from. The escaped homicidal maniac who either wants to kill me or marry me? No. How about a rampaging spirit or demon? Nope. Or maybe the frighteningly rude butler and his bouncy granddaughter? No, wrong again. So, who was I hiding from? Lin-san and Bou-san. That's right; I was hiding from my friends/coworkers.

After breakfast earlier the guys went to look around and left me at the base, nothing new there. Naturally, I got a little sleepy sitting there all on my own. I had only closed my eyes for a moment or two, I wasn't even really sleeping, when Lin-san came back on his own and saw me like that. Since then, he's been insisting that I go back to sleep. He just won't drop it. I managed to avoid him until lunch time, which is when Bou-san tried to force food down my throat. I'm never hungry the day after a bad night's sleep, so I used the same excuse that I gave them at breakfast: that I'd eaten while preparing their lunch. I didn't technically lie when I told them that. While making their lunch, I had a handful of grapes.

How is it they seem to know that I'm not eating normally I wonder? Wait a minute… isn't there… Damn it, they have a camera set up in the kitchen!

Anyways, back to why I can't get out of the attic. Well, I'm a little stuck… literally. I'm stuck under, or rather in, an armoire. I had just finished setting up the camera and sound system for the large attic (we couldn't get in here yesterday because the butler left with the keys halfway through set up), but when I turned to leave I heard a creaking sound. I turned around just in time to see the piece of furniture fall on top of me. Thankfully, its doors were open and there were no shelves in it, so I'm not hurt to badly. But I do have a really big headache. The other problem is this thing is made of solid oak or something and is too heavy for me to move. So here I am, stuck in the attic actually hoping that one of the guys I was trying to avoid will come and find me. Or Naru. Naru would be good. I'd even willingly listen to him berate me for landing in this situation. I wonder if this protection necklace really wor… Oh right, I took it off last night because it was kinda heavy and forgot to put it back on today. Naru would be right to bug me, considering how much of a dunce I've been lately. Maybe I should try banging on the floor and yelling some more. I just hope they turn the camera monitor and sound on. I hope they don't think I'm a poltergeist.

I feel like a child throwing a tantrum but I don't have room to do more than thump my hands and feet on the floor. I can't turn over to get the leverage to push this thing off of me and I don't have the arm strength to just move it.

Wait, what was that?! Something cold and wet just touched my leg. Shit, somebody help me! Please get me out of here! It's got hold of my leg!

"Please let go. Help! Naru! Lin-san! Bou-san! Please help me!" I yell as I thrash about, trying to make it let go as I make more noise.

Whatever it was just dug what felt like claws into my leg and pulled downwards. I can't help but keep screaming. At least, I couldn't until I passed out.

_"Mai. Mai. It's time to wake up little one."_

_"Who's there? I don't recognize your voice," I called back to the woman's voice._

_It has always been Naru guiding me in my dreams, so why is there an unseen woman calling me?_

_"It's alright. I know you're confused, but it's time to take the lesson to heart child. Open your eyes and embrace the abilities that are a part of you. Concentrate. You can call the pendant to yourself. The protections on it will help you. Don't doubt yourself, Mai. Now. Wake up!"_

That dream was strange and, seeing as it's one of my dreams, that's saying something. Ow. Ow. Ow! That thing still has a hold of my leg! It feels like it's trying to scratch me to death. How am I supposed to concentrate with this thing digging into me?!

"_Concentrate! Don't doubt yourself, Mai._" The voice echoed in my head.

Ok, concentrate… right. I can break cups. Okay, so that's always been accidental before, I must have some PK ability. So, maybe I can make things float? I hope I can. Ow… here goes nothing. Locket… locket… locket… Naru… no… locket. Concentrate on the locket.

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On the third floor, in Mai's bedroom, a suitcase began to rattle and shake until it fell from its upright position. Now laying flat on the ground, it slowly unzipped itself. The lid flew open and the heirloom pendant came shooting out, strewing three shirts on the floor in the process. It barely managed to fit under the door but once past that obstacle, it hurtled towards the attic always staying about a foot above the floor. Mai had left the attic door open and there was just enough room for the necklace to slip under the armoire that lay on top of her. Mai breathed a sigh of exhaustion and relief as her fingers closed around the locket and whatever had been clutching her leg released her and retreated.

'Naru please find me,' she thought before falling asleep.

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Downstairs in the base, Naru was becoming uncomfortable with how long it was taking Mai to set up the equipment in the attic. He really shouldn't have sent her alone knowing her affinity for getting into trouble.

"Lin, try turning on the attic monitor to see if we get a feed yet."

Naru's assistant seemed almost surprised when the monitor showed the attic perfectly. He flipped the sound over to that room but there didn't seem to be anything unusual coming through. Something about the room bothered Lin, but he couldn't put his finger on it. It was a fairly messy room and he could see why Mai had taken a while to get set up if she had to avoid all the junk that was piled around.

Naru nearly gasped when he felt himself slide about three inches towards the door. He looked around discreetly and checked the room temperature but found nothing unusual. It wasn't cold in the room, anything but actually, since it was June thirtieth and summer was well under way, and there didn't seem to be anything in the room that would have moved him. A flash on the screen made him look back at the monitor and a thought struck him.

"Lin, we can see Mai's footprints in the dust on the attic floor right?"

The words made the older man to turn and look at his boss, causing both men to miss the small gold object that floated across the screen and under the armoire.

"Yes. On either side of the fallen…" Lin stopped in mid sentence, realizing what was wrong with the room.

"But not going around or over it, and the prints leaving the room stop at the armoire," Naru finished grimly, already turning towards the door.

"_Naru please find me._" Mai's voice seemed to whisper in Naru's ear.

Taking a quick look at Lin, who was running down the hall beside him, Naru realized that the other man had not heard their coworker's voice. The two men navigated the corridors and stairs at a near breakneck speed. They passed the butler, who was coming down from the fifth floor, directly below the attic. He looked drained but they ignored him and continued on, slowing only when they reached the attic.

"Mai, are you in here?!" Naru called as he made his way to the fallen piece of furniture.

"Mai-san, can you hear us? Are you alright?" Lin asked as he got a grip on one side of the armoire.

Neither received an answer. Together they lifted the heavy oak object off to one side. There, lying pale and unconscious on the floor, was Mai, clutching her family pendant in one hand.

"Mai-san!" Lin exclaimed as he saw her right leg.

From mid-thigh to ankle, her leg was covered in blood from scratches and cuts. Lin quickly took off his shirt and wrapped it around her thigh, trying to staunch the flow.

"Naru, either give me your shirt or go get some clean towels. We need to stop the bleeding before we move her and get her to a doctor. Nothing in this room is clean enough to use," Lin said quickly.

Naru pulled off his shirt and handed it to the _onmyouji_ before checking Mai's torso for injury. Finding none, he carefully cradled her upper body to his chest and began calling her name.

"Huh? Naru? Where is your… I must be dreaming," Mai mumbled as she blinked in confusion.

"Are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm not really sure. I finished setting up and that closet thing fell on me. I tried calling for help, but then it felt like something started tearing at my leg. Why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

"Are you alright, Mai-san? What happened to whatever attacked you?"

"I grabbed my locket and it went away. Lin-san, where is your shirt? Now I know I'm dreaming… this can't be real."

Struggling to get up, Naru kept holding her down, Mai finally caught sight of her leg wrapped in two black shirts that were starting to look a little damp.

"I'm bleeding? Something really did attack me?"

"Take it easy, it's not that bad. We'll get you to a doctor soon," Naru said gently as he carefully cradled her when she looked like she was about to cry.

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"Ne, Naru. What do you think the doctor was thinking when I told him I was attacked by a ghost?" Mai said as she limped towards the van.

They had just finished in the doctors office, which was just in the village about five minutes from the mansion by car. The doctor had told them that the cuts looked worse than they actually were and told Mai to stay off it for a few days and to change the bandage at least once a day. He'd cleaned and disinfected the wounds and had told the three that she thankfully required no stitches. He'd also given her a mild pain reliever which seemed to be making her drowsy. Normally, Naru wouldn't have cared or even given a thought to what the local man thought about Mai's ghost story except for the fact that he didn't look in the least bit shocked and had an almost knowing look on his face.

"I'm not sure. Mai, I think maybe we should take you home. The house is apparently dangerous and with you already being hurt it would be safer there," Naru responded.

"NO!"

The outburst caused both men to look sharply at the girl.

"No. It's safer for me here with you. I can't go home right now," Mai said, sounding almost desperate.

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't you be safe at home?" Naru's voice was sharp and demanding.

"It's personal. Look, the doctor said I'll be fine to walk in a day or two and I can still sit in the base and take information like this until then. Please, Naru."

The president of SPR looked at her carefully for a few moments as though judging her reaction before sharing a split second look with Lin. A minute later, he nodded and got behind the wheel of the van while Lin helped Mai into the middle.


	5. Dear Girl

**_Ghost Hunt isn't mine, don't sue me. The lullaby isn't mine either. Information on it can be found upon request. It's from the cd Oyasumi._**

_**Argh! I had to rewrite like three times before this chapter was complete! As usual as most have figured out the lines of 000000 are to change scene/time/view. Thanks again to Artemis Bloodshadow for beta reading and being so patient with the rewrites. **_

_**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**_

Lin had just carried Mai through the front door, opened by Naru, when they heard a voice echo loudly through the relative silence.

"Oh, you poor dear! What on earth happened to you?"

The woman had long loose black hair and wore an elegant black sleeveless sundress. Her skin was so pale that her black colored eyes and red lips stood out in stark contrast. She was a striking beauty that reminded the three ghost hunters strongly of a porcelain doll. She held her back stiff as she strode quickly towards them, more directly towards Mai and Lin, and paused only when Naru inserted himself directly in her path.

"Oh, forgive me. I'm forgetting myself. My name is Hirotaka Takako. It was my recently departed husband that hired you on my suggestion," she said, suddenly becoming businesslike without missing a beat.

"I'm Shibuya of Shibuya Psychic Research. These two are Lin and Taniyama. Excuse me, but did you just say your husband recently died?"

"Yes. We left our home on business the day before he hired you. You see, I was told by a family acquaintance what your company does and I told my husband that we should set up a meeting since we would be in that area the next day. Unfortunately, about an hour after he called you yesterday to ask if you could get here a little sooner, my poor husband was in a terrible car accident. I just couldn't stand to be there any longer, so I came home and left my lawyer to deal with the arrangements," Takako said without seeming all that sad.

"My condolences," Naru said evenly as he studied the woman before him.

"Oh, not at all. We weren't that close, my husband and I. A marriage of convenience, to say the least. Now as for you dear, you must tell me what happened! Are you in pain? Is there anything I can do for you?" Takako babbled, sidestepping Naru to get to Mai.

"I'm fine ma'am, really. I can walk, but Lin-san won't let me right now," Mai replied unsurely.

"The doctor said to stay off it," Lin replied quietly.

"You'll just break the cuts open again. Are you really that intent on doing further damage?" Naru said in annoyance.

"Ah, right…"

"Really now. You shouldn't say things like that to her. Shibuya-san," Takako interrupted.

The disbelieving silence that followed the statement was almost smothering. Lin was waiting for either Mai to get angry or Naru to put the woman in her place. Mai was conflicted between telling the woman off for being rude to Naru and waiting to see what he would say. Naru, on the other hand, simply glared at the woman until she backed down somewhat. She almost seemed to physically deflate.

"I'm very sorry. That was terribly rude of me. Perhaps the loss of my husband bothers me more than I anticipated. I seem to be a bit out of sorts," Takako apologized with a bright blush.

Naru, while still annoyed, chose to let the moment pass, deciding to act as though nothing had happened. Mai was staring intently at the lady owner of the house, completely confused.

'She means no harm to me… She's no threat to me that I can sense, but at the same time she is someone to watch out for. Something about what she said really bothers me. She's like a calm lake that you can't see the bottom of. One wrong step and you could find yourself in deeper water that you expected. There's definitely something about her,' Mai thought to herself.

"We'll be heading to the base now, Hirotaka-san. I'll need to speak with you later about just what you've been experiencing here," Naru said finally.

"If you must. I need to finish up some business in my study on the second floor, so perhaps when I'm done." Again the business persona came roaring out.

The three members of SPR walked off after that. Well, two of them walked off, seeing as Mai was still in Lin's arms being carried.

"Finally! I was going out of my mind with worry. Are you alright, Mai? What did the doctor say? Here, Lin-san, put her on the couch," Takigawa said as the other three entered the base.

He was referring to a comfortable looking older black leather couch that had not been in the room previously. It was set up with several pillows at both ends, and the monk had a blanket in his hands. Lin carefully set Mai down, propping her against one arm of the couch with a few pillows behind her back and most of them under her injured leg.

"Where did that come from, Bou-san?" Naru asked pointing to the couch.

"I found the butler and asked if we could find a couch or cot to move in here for Mai after you guys told me what happened. This was in the back of the entertainment room, so I had him help me move it here. When Mrs. Hirotaka found out why we were moving it, she insisted of getting the pillows and blankets."

"I see. Lin, Bou-san, what was your impression of the lady of this house?"

"She seemed quite anxious about Mai, but otherwise she seemed cold and distant," Takigawa replied.

"I agree. She was rude earlier but if it concerned Mai-san, she was rather persistent."

"Mai what about you?" Bou-san turned to look at the girl when he was met with silence.

She was fast asleep. Deciding to get back to work, the three men started going over the data quietly. They reviewed the tapes of what they had missed while they were gone, finding several paranormal happenings in a few of the different upper level rooms. It was fairly obvious that at least some, if not most, of the ghosts there were from the massacre twenty years ago, but there seemed to be something else as well. It wasn't long before Mai began to shift and mumble. Her brow creased in worry and confusion. Naru signaled the other two into silence before quietly going over to her and crouching by her head.

"Mai, tell me what you see," Naru whispered in a low and soothing voice.

He'd found out some time ago that if he kept his voice even enough, he could sometimes soothe Mai into telling him her dreams as they happened. Doing it in this way often revealed more details than she herself would remember upon waking. The slightest difference in pitch or a strange sound would wake her instantly if he did this though, and other times the information was just confusing.

"The porch," Mai replied softly.

"What about the porch?"

"She's opened the porch. She's going down. She doesn't know what is down there but she wants it. She's so sad, so… angry."

"Who is?"

"I don't know. I can't see her face properly."

"Mai, tell me what you're seeing. What's going on?"

"The maid… watch out for the maid."

"What do you…" Naru was interrupted by Mai's cell phone ringing, which consequently woke her up.

She sat up abruptly, blinking in confusion, even as she reached for her phone.

"Eh? _Nani_? Ah… _moshi moshi_? Ryo? Of course I'm alright, big brother… Yes, I'm sure… No, you don't need to come pick me up… They called you about that, huh? I'm just fine. The doctor said it wasn't that bad and I'll be back on my feet by the day after tomorrow… Yes, I'm sure I'm safe here… No, I realize that, I meant safe from him… No… I really don't think I should… Yes, I'll call you tomorrow Ryo."

After Mai hung up the phone, she suddenly realized that the others were still in the room with her and she flushed in worry. All three of them were staring at her, silently demanding answers that she wasn't sure she was ready to give.

"Does this have to do with what you were saying earlier at the doctor's office? About you being safer here than at home? What's going on, Mai? We need answers," Naru demanded.

"Mai, we can't protect you if we don't know what this is about. You know we'll keep you safe as best we can jou-chan," Bou-san added, softening Naru's statement.

Lin stayed silent, but placed a hand on Mai's shoulder for support, silently telling her that he wouldn't abandon her to any kind of danger. He didn't release her even as she began crying softly and hid her face in her hands.

"It's all my fault," she whispered harshly through her tears.

"What is?" Bou-san asked, kneeling beside her.

"I should have tried to warn her better. I should have done something!" she sobbed.

"Mai, what are you talking about?" Naru insisted.

It was no use, though, as Mai continued to cry into her hands, occasionally mumbling unintelligible things about her mother and someone named Kyuu.

"Mai, please. Whatever it is I'm sure it's not your fault," Takigawa said, gathering her to his chest.

"Ryo was right. I should have told you all before. It's just so hard…" Mai said, her voice muffled in the monk's shirt, wiping away her tears as she calmed down.

"Your brother wished you to tell us what, Mai-san?" Lin asked, reaching out and giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Please, don't make me." Her whisper was barely audible as she pressed her face back into Takigawa's shirt.

"Mai, you need to tell us. I'm sure it's not as bad as you think, people often mistakenly place blame upon themselves that is not theirs to bear," Naru said.

"It is my fault!"

Naru simply raised an eyebrow and waited for her to continue.

"I don't know if you were listening to it the other day or not, but the day Hirotaka-san came for an interview about this place, there was a news report just after he left. It was about Kurosawa Nobu killing his parole officer and going into hiding."

"I remember it. He's said to have killed his wife and one of his stepchildren. They said something about him kidnapping his stepdaughter," Bou-san said.

"He did all that. He killed my mother and oldest brother when I was ten and then he kidnapped me."

"That was your family they were talking about? Mai, I'm so sorry," Takigawa said, still holding her close in support.

"Do you know why he kidnapped you, Mai-san" Lin asked gently, trying not to seem cruel.

"He wants to keep me for his own. I tried to behave when my mother married him, but I never liked him. He seemed to think I was his perfect little girl. He kept me for a week before the police found and arrested him. I know he's coming after me again. He's crazy. He doesn't want me for a wife like the reporter thought; he just doesn't want anyone else in my life. I'm safer here because he won't know that I'm here even if he does find my house. My brother left the country and wanted me to go, too. I promised him that if Kurosawa wasn't caught by the time we finished here, I would. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before, but…"

"Mai, none of that was your fault," Bou-san said as he crouched down and hugged the girl.

"It is though. I could feel that he was dangerous, but I didn't tell anyone but my oldest brother, and look where that got him! He was trying to get me out of the house when Kurosawa found him after killing my mom. Maybe its best if I do go with my brother," Mai sobbed dejectedly, crying again.

"You'll stay with us. Kami-sama knows what kind of trouble you'd cause in another country," Naru said as Lin nodded and squeezed her shoulder again.

"But…"

"Its fine, Mai, and, no, it wasn't your fault," Naru said before turning to the monitors.

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He stared at his surroundings in annoyance. He'd nearly been caught by asking around for this piece of information but it had been worth it. He hadn't been able to find her home address but he now knew where she worked, which was just as good. He'd have to approach this one with a little caution as she apparently worked with two people constantly and others dropping in all the time.

Who knew that when the brat had been having nightmares when she was little of people she didn't know dying and trying to get near her that she might have actually been seeing ghosts? It didn't matter, really. That had all stopped before he'd gotten rid of her mother and brother. It was just a pity that the other bastard had been away at college at the time. The girl wasn't supposed to have anybody but him. She was his. He'd watched her grow, had helped her father along into death so that he could take his place. He'd even put up with that whiney bitch she called a mother. The bitch had scarred his face with that damned house key from the place she'd lived with her last husband that she'd called a protection charm. That oldest boy of the bitch was no better, always taking his precious one's attention away from him, trying to keep them apart. The poor bastard had almost seemed to know that he wanted the girl for his own. In fact, he'd died in the hallway trying to get his sister out of the house. He'd traumatized the poor girl, but that was of no consequence. She was his, or would be when he found her again, one way or another.

He waited until dark to sneak into her workplace when there were less people in the surrounding area. After getting inside without tripping the alarm system and managing to turn it off, he quickly searched for information on his beloved girl. The first office he chose held nothing useful to him. There was just some strange research on paranormal crap as far as he was concerned. The next office had what he wanted. He had it… so the little one had a cell phone. That should make things a little easier if she wasn't home. If she'd heard he was loose she might have left with her remaining brother, but at least this way he had a way to get in contact with her. Soon enough she would be his again, and this time, she wouldn't get away.

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It was fairly late that night when the door to Mai's bedroom slowly opened. A head peaked in to check if she was sleeping and, upon discovering that she was, the person snuck into the room, softly closing the door behind them. The woman quietly crept her way over to the bed and gently sat on the edge of it, looking down at its occupant.

"Such a sweet little girl. Poor darling, getting hurt like that must have been so frightening. Don't worry now, dearest, I'm here. I'll protect you from it, I promise," Takako said softly as she reached out and started stroking Mai's hair as the girl slept on.

Mai shifted a little but settled once more with a sigh, her brow creasing in confusion of a strange dream. Takako gently moved her thumb over the girl's forehead and softly started to sing her a lullaby.

"Umi wa hiroi na, ookii na,  
Tsuki ga noborushi, higashizumu

_Gentle waves, calling softly, ocean lullaby;  
Rabbit moon glowing silver listens from the sky._

Umi ni ofune o ukabasete,  
Yurete dokomade tsuzukuyara.

_Gentle waves, calling softly, ocean lullaby;  
Rabbit moon glowing silver, beckons me goodnight._

Umi ni ofune o ukabasete  
Itte mitaina, yoso no kuni"

She stayed there in Mai's room, soothing and whispering reassurances to the girl well into the night and did not leave until nearly 2:00AM sneaking out in the same manner she came in.


	6. Knowing I'm Dreaming

_Knowing that she was dreaming didn't make suddenly appearing in the entrance hall any less disorienting as far as Mai was concerned. She looked around carefully, trying to note the details in case the dream proved important. There were several differences to the place, some obvious like the reception desk, which had been removed before SPR had arrived, others not so noticeable like the different positioning of the pictures on the walls. There were muffled sounds of a party coming from the direction of the ballroom and, at that moment, no one else was in the hall with her. Before Mai could move down the hall, the sound of running, just barely audible over the music and noise, made her pause. A second later, the little girl she'd seen in the hall previously as a ghost came running into view. She got about three feet past Mai before she tripped and fell to the floor. Mai found herself moving to help the girl before remembering that she was dreaming, and stopped just as two familiar looking boys came down the stairs and ran to the child's side._

_"Kasumi-chan, are you alright?" the slightly younger of the two (he looked about eight or nine while the other looked to be about eleven or twelve) inquired as the other boy helped her up._

_"Why do you insist on wearing_ furisode_ and _zori,_ Kasumi-chan? You know they just make you trip when you run," the older boy asked, referring to the child's kimono and sandals._

_"Kyuu-san, Ryo-san!" the girl cried out happily, seemingly unaffected by her tumble._

_"It's good that you're not hurt, kiddo," Kyuu, the elder boy, said as he ruffled the girl's hair._

_"Kyuu, Ryo… my older brothers? How is this possible?" Mai whispered in astonishment, realizing why they looked familiar._

_"Hey, did you find my teddy bear?" Kasumi asked anxiously._

_"Of course. Do we ever let you down? I don't know why you can never find him; you always leave him in the same place. I keep telling you that if you leave him on the big couch in the social room, he's just going to get stuffed between the cushions," Kyuu answered with a grin as Ryo produced a blue bear with a white bow around it's neck from behind his back._

_"Thank you! I wish I could be your little sister, you two would be such great older brothers."_

_"Heh. I know I already am, but I don't know if Ryo here could pull his head out of his science books long enough to be," Kyuu replied teasingly._

_He easily caught his younger brother when the boy tried to tackle him as Kasumi laughed in delight. The play stopped when her laughter suddenly died._

_"Ne. Is your mother alright? I think something is wrong with your little brother that she's got in her tummy," Kasumi uttered quietly with a strange, distant look on her face._

_"Kasumi-chan, don't say things like that, it's scary," Ryo demanded, looking uneasy._

_"Yeah, you get the same look on your face that our Grandmother gets just before she says weird things she couldn't possibly know, too," Kyuu added._

_"Gomen nasai," the girl replied, looking at the floor._

_There was a moment or two of awkward silence before they heard a woman cry out in pain. The three children froze as Mai's father (Mai recognized him from pictures she had) came running out of the ballroom carrying her mother. They were headed for the front door and barely paused long enough for her father to call out to her brothers._

_"Kyuu, Ryo, stay here with Kasumi-chan's family. I have to get your mother to the hospital!"_

_The last thing Mai saw was a woman standing in the shadows, peaking around the corner. She caught sight of a frightening smile on the woman's face before the dream ended abruptly._

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Mai bolted into a sitting position with a gasp. What kind of dream had that been? Her parents and brothers had been here? They certainly hadn't died here with the rest of the guests, but from the look of the little girl, it hadn't been long before the massacre. That little girl, Kasumi, had seemed to know something would happen to her mother beforehand. Had she been psychic?

Sudden movement to her left caught her attention, and Mai let out a loud yelp when she came face to face with a floating blue teddy bear. She had actually found the bear in the couch she'd been laying on earlier, and had left it in the base when she'd been carried up to bed. Slowly, Kasumi appeared holding the stuffed toy.

"Thank you for finding him. You're nice like your brothers," the little girl said with a grin, seeming much less serious and mysterious than she had when they'd first met.

"Mai-san! Are you alright? I'm coming in," Lin's voice called from the other side of her bedroom door.

"_Gomen nasai,_ Mai-san," the ghost stated as she disappeared, leaving the bear to fall to the bed.

"Mai-san, are you alright? What happened?" Lin asked in concern as he entered, looking for what could have made the girl cry out in fear.

"Lin-san, I know ghosts can possess empty dolls, but what about stuffed animals?" Mai inquired quietly in a strained voice as she stared at the bear uneasily.

The little girl seemed to be harmless, but there was no telling what she could do. If she really had been psychic in life, she could be extremely strong as a ghost. One temper tantrum, or if she decided she didn't like someone who was alive, could lead to disaster depending on her talents.

"They can enter quite a few things, but it helps if it was an object they were attached to in life," Lin responded, catching on, as his gaze followed hers to the toy.

"I don't think it is, but…"

"Mai, are you alright? I thought I heard something over here," Takigawa asked as he walked into the room

"I'll check it later today. You left it in the base, didn't you? Did you yell because you woke up and found it here?" Lin queried, still staring at the bear.

"I'm fine, Bou-san. Kasumi-chan isn't malicious, I don't think," Mai replied absently, reaching out to pick up the bear. Lin got to it first.

"Kasumi-chan?" Naru's voice came from the open doorway, where he stood holding a cup of tea.

"Mai-chan, have you been having dreams again without telling us?" The monk sounded exasperated.

"Well…"

"Mai." Naru's voice was reprimanding as he fully entered the room and handed her the drink.

"Two that I can remember, but neither seems relevant to this case at all," she finally replied before taking a sip of the soothing liquid.

Naru seemed to have built-in radar for when Mai needed him to calm her down. Soon, she had told the three of them of the dream involving the teenager's apparent suicide.

"I don't know how I know, I just do. Her soul was already gone. It's like her body was only moving long enough to dispose of itself," Mai finished, relating what she remembered.

"You said the note was dated March of last year? We'll have to look into that. Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Hirotaka mentioned any recent deaths here," Naru commented.

"What was the other dream, Mai? What about the one you had on the couch yesterday?" Bou-san asked.

"Huh? What dream yesterday?" Mai asked in confusion, clearly not remembering.

"Never mind. What was the other dream about?" Naru responded.

Mai told them of the dream she'd just had a little reluctantly. It felt much more personal and she almost felt as though she wanted to keep the dream of her family to herself.

"I think it's real. I know my mother miscarried once before she had me and that they were away from home when it happened," Mai finished quietly.

"I'm sorry, Mai." Takigawa said gently.

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None of us felt like sleeping much after that and, since Lin-san had been on his way to the base when he heard me from the hallway, the rest of us just went with him. Bou-san carried me down to the base and, after checking my leg, they decided it was okay for me to walk around a little today, so long as I didn't overdo it and stayed away from stairs. It was fairly quiet that day, but it seemed to me we were all on edge, like we were waiting for something to happen. So, naturally, it waited until we were asleep that night and had let our guard down. This time though, the attack wasn't directed at either me or Naru.

It was just after three in the morning when I heard something in my room and once again woke up face to face with a blue teddy bear. This time, even though I was still startled, I didn't scream. Lin-san had examined the bear earlier and had come to the conclusion that it was not possessed, which was a good thing since John is out of town right now.

"Kasumi-chan?" I asked softly as I tried to slow my rapidly beating heart.

"Mai-san! I'm so glad you're awake. Kuma-chan and I were getting scared!" he little ghost exclaimed as she appeared holding the floating toy.

I was surprised to see her looking ready to burst into tears and, despite being uneasy about her sudden manifestation; I tried my best to comfort her by gathering her to me. It's difficult to hold a ghost, even if they make the effort to become solid enough to touch. It is cold and soul chilling, no matter how harmless the spirit actually is. It is also much easier for them to possess a body if they make contact like this since at least part of the living person accepts them openly. I was taking a big risk soothing Kasumi in this way. I could already imagine Naru in the back of my mind yelling at me, but she really didn't seem to have any hidden motive behind wanting comfort.

"Kasumi-chan, why are you afraid? What's going on?" I murmured as I began the motion of petting the child's hair. This had always calmed me when I had been upset when I was little, and I found that it worked more often than not on other children.

"It's coming! It's coming up here. It's after one of you and I don't want it to take you away!" the girl sobbed.

"Wants one of us? Kasumi-chan, are you talking about the thing from under the porch?"

The ghost nodded as she began to cry harder.

"I have to warn them!" I cried out as I rolled off the bed and hurried, as much as I could while still limping, across my room. I never noticed that I left my locket on the bedside table.

"Mai-san, no!" Kasumi shouted as I snatched my door open and entered the hallway.

I was just in time to see a human-like shadow enter Bou-sans room and, not really thinking straight, I followed it as fast as I could. I entered his room to find it trying to pull the monk from his bed by his ankles while he hung onto the headboard for dear life.

"Bou-san!" I cried out.

"Mai, get out of here! Get Naru and Lin!" he ordered between his chanting, which he couldn't currently make the hand symbols for, even as I approached, also chanting the spirit ward he had taught me.

"_Nau maku san manda bazara dan kan_!" I repeated three times.

The shadow turned its head (if you could call it that since it had no features) towards me and I felt myself slide backwards several feet.

"_Rin pyou tou sha kai djin retsu zai zen_!" I forcefully yelled out the Kuji that Ayako had shown me as I slashed the air with the hand signs.

The door to the room slammed shut as I heard footsteps pound from the next room over towards us, and I heard the ominous sounding click of the lock. It had just locked Lin-san and Naru out of the room.

"Let him go!" I screamed and advanced towards it again.

"Mai! Get out of here! Don't be stupid!" Bou-san yelled at me.

The shadow wrenched him from the bed in his moment of distraction and threw him across the room. It fully turned to face me and I found myself frozen in fear as it took two deliberate steps towards me. Bou-san was only just getting up to try his mantra again as he made his way unsteadily back towards us. The shadow waved a hand in his direction and he slid back towards the wall as it took another step in my direction. Lin-san and Naru were battering the door, trying to get it open from the sound of it but, before any of them could come to the rescue; another featureless entity shimmered into appearance. Instead of shadows, this being was made of dark grey fog. A harsh sounding woman's voice sounded throughout the room, seeming to resound off the walls.

"Not that one!" was all it said before both shadow and haze disappeared.

"Takigawa! Mai!" Naru's voice followed the crash of the door was broken off its hinges.

"Are you two alright?!" Lin-san's voice followed barely a second after.


	7. Beautiful Daughter beta'd

_**This is the beta'd version of chapter 8. During Nobu's pov there are two terms used, Agoraphobic and Anthropophobiac. **_

_**Agoraphobic means the person has a **__**Fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places like markets. Fear of leaving a safe place.**_

_**Anthropophobiac is a person who has a Fear of people or society.**_

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_"Lin-san the bathroom is free." Mai said as she re-entered the bedroom that she was now sharing with the three men. _

_"Thank you, Mai-san. Takigawa and Naru have gone down to the base to check the tapes from last night already. I'll just be a moment," Lin replied as Mai slipped behind the screen which was placed around her bed. _

_"I'll wait for you; I just need to grab a different shirt. This one is a little too warm." _

_Just after changing her shirt, Mai felt the room temperature drop significantly and the smell of blood flooded her sense of smell, nearly making her gag. _

_"Lin-san!" she called out, moving towards the washroom hoping he could hear her over the running water. _

_She didn't have to worry though, since the bathroom door opened barely a moment later, revealing a bloody handed Lin. _

_"Lin-san are you alright? What happened? Are you hurt?" Mai managed to stutter out as she moved to take his hands._

_"I'm fine. This isn't my blood." _

_"WHAT?!"_

Mai was startled from sleep and found herself sitting bolt upright with her right hand clutching her shirt. It had been a nightmare surely… it had to be, but all she could remember was blood. She could still feel the bright red liquid soaking into her. She could still smell and taste the coppery tang in the back of her throat. Her left hand clenched in the bed covers pooled in her lap as she tried to rid herself of the terrifying feeling that plagued her. What had the dream been about?

"Mai? Are you awake?" Takigawa's voice came from the other side of the partition that had been put up that night.

"Hai, Bou-san. What time is it?" Mai called back shakily.

"It's about quarter after eight. Naru and I are heading down to the base. Lin is staying here to walk down with you. After last night, Naru doesn't want any of us on our own."

"O… ok. I'll be out in a minute.

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"Lin-san the bathroom is free." Mai said as she re-entered the bedroom that she was now sharing with the three men, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu.

Naru had insisted that they all move into the same room after the incident with the shadow being from the night before. They were lucky it had been called off, as Takigawa put it, since the mantra hadn't affected it.

"Thank you, Mai-san," Lin replied as Mai slipped behind the screen which was placed around her bed.

"I just need to grab a different shirt. This one is a little too warm."

It hadn't taken them long the night before to pull in an extra bed (though it had been interesting to watch Lin and Bou-san trying to fit the bed frame through the door with the box spring still in it) and Mai had found a cot which Lin had brought in for her while Takigawa found the screen. All in all, they'd gotten back to sleep around four-thirty a.m. and were having a bit of a late start this morning, seeing as it was already nine.

Just after changing her shirt, Mai felt the room temperature drop significantly, and the smell of blood flooded her sense of smell, nearly making her gag. Fear flooded her as she began to recall the dream from last night.

"Lin-san!" she called out, moving towards the washroom, hoping he could hear her over the running water.

She didn't have to worry though since the bathroom door opened barely a moment later, revealing a bloody handed Lin.

"Lin-san are you alright? What happened? Are you hurt?" Mai managed to stutter out as she moved to take his hands.

"I'm fine. This isn't my blood."

"What do you mean? Whose blood is it?"

"The sinks. The water seems to have been turned to blood; I was washing my hands when it happened," Lin explained patiently.

"Oh… Thank the Gods… We should turn that faucet off just in case and try a different unit," Mai replied a little faintly as she moved to step past the Chinese man.

Ten minutes later, Mai and a now clean handed Lin headed for the base where Naru and Takigawa awaited them.

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He swore silently to himself as he once again avoided being found by the police. He'd been stupid to assume the cops wouldn't have her house staked out; even more stupid to believe that she might be there still when his face was plastered all over the news. Not that it mattered. He may not have found out where she was hiding, but he still had her cell phone and her work address. He could use those to his advantage. She had to come back sometime, especially if she was with her coworkers, and, until that time, he could try to decipher where she was by calling her.

He grinned to himself as he snuck away to where he'd been hiding since he'd gotten away from his parole officer. He really didn't worry about being identified there, not when the bitch he'd killed for the room was an agoraphobic and an anthropophobiac woman who didn't even let the grocery delivery boy see her. She'd done everything from home and had an account with the store, so they just left the groceries on the porch and went about their merry little way. So long as the food kept disappearing into the house and her card never got declined, he was set.

"Honey, I'm home. Did you miss me?" he whispered hoarsely as he patted the corpse's head and laughed. He really had to move her to the deep freeze or something soon, she was starting to smell.

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"Mai-san!" an overly cheery voice sounded from the doorway, startling its sole occupant.

Naru had said he didn't want them traveling alone but, apparently, it was alright to leave her alone in the base while the other three went and searched the house for hot, or cold in this case, spots.

"Hai, Kawaguchi-san? Is there something I can do for you?"

"Oh, forget the formalities. Call me Tonma. You said I can call you Mai right? Anyway, there's nothing you can do for me, but I figured you might be thirsty so I brought some tea. Actually, I'm kinda bored and, since I'm done with my chores for right now, I thought we could chat, if I'm not distracting you from your work too much. Anyways, the mistress really seems to have taken a liking to you huh? I've never seen her this excited over anyone. Normally, she just yells at me or spends her time ranting at grandfather, not that he minds," the young maid rattled on as she plopped herself down on the couch and made herself comfortable after handing Mai a cup of tea.

"Uh, right. I know what you mean by bored when you're done with what you're supposed to do. I mean, normally there's enough for me to do on a case but at the office… but you can only organize the same files so many times before you go nuts. As for Hirotaka-san, I'm sure she's not yelling at you specifically, she's probably just stressed or something from work. What does she do anyways?" Mai asked curiously, realizing that Naru hadn't had a chance to talk with the owner yet since she always claimed to be too busy.

"Oh, she's a talent scout. Mostly for models and such, but it varies. You know, it's a little strange, but most of the people she discovers never bother getting in contact with her after the first few consultations. Kinda rude when you think about it. I hoped for a while when I first got the job here that I might be discovered, but I'm too klutzy to be a model and I don't really have any talent. I'm your average dud. You, on the other hand. I can see why she'd be interested in you. Your skin tone and body shape are really similar to a lot of the models she's looked at before. You could probably wear almost anything. Do you have any other talents? Like, can you sing or play an instrument? How about writing a good story? I bet some of your cases would make excellent novels. Or maybe your talent is really exotic, like swallowing flaming swords or taming deadly snakes?" Tonma chattered on, barely pausing for a breath.

"No, nothing like that. I don't really have much talent at anything," Mai said, a little overwhelmed at just how much the girl talked and the conclusions she jumped to.

"Tonma!" a new voice interrupted as the younger girl was about to speak again.

"Hai, Hirotaka-sama?" the girl cried out as she rushed to stand and bow to her employer.

"I'm sure you've bothered Mai enough today. Don't you have rooms to clean, child? I noticed that the attics in the towers were atrociously messy," Hirotaka Takako said stiffly, glaring at the maid.

"Hai, Hirotaka-sama. I'll get to them right away, ma'am," Tonma stuttered out as she practically bolted from the room.

"Well. Now that we're alone, dear girl, perhaps we can chat. I know I came on a little strong the other day, sweetie, but I was just aghast at the thought of you being hurt," the older woman said as she breezed into the room and dropped ceremoniously onto the couch where the maid had been moments ago.

"It's no problem. Thank you for being concerned. I was wondering though if you could answer a few questions now, since you have a moment. Would that be alright?" Mai replied, seizing the opportunity.

"Anything for you, precious." Takako smiled a little grimly as Mai's brow creased in slight confusion at the pet names.

She leaned forward and cupped her face, smoothing her forehead with her thumb and smiled more disarmingly.

"None of that now. You'll get wrinkles if you keep frowning, little one."

"Um, right… Hirotaka-san, I'm kind of uncomfortable with being touched so familiarly since we've just met… do you think we could start the questions now?" Mai said pulling back from the older woman's grasp.

"Of course dear." Takako said sitting back as though unfazed.

The questioning went on for approximately twenty minutes before it was interrupted by two cell phones ringing almost in unison, though the sound was horrible due to the different ring tones.

"I'm sorry, honey, I have to get back to work now. I hope I was helpful," Takako said as she strode out of the room, looking a little distracted by her phone, though not before dropping a kiss onto the top of Mai's head.

"No problem…" The young psychic frowned again, a little disturbed by the meeting.

The third ring of her phone snapped her out of it, though, as she flipped it open, not recognizing the number.

"Moshi moshi? Hello? ... Is anyone there? Hello?" Mai said over and over again, before ending the call.

The only response she'd received had been the faint sound of breathing on the other end. She wondered momentarily if it had been from Kurosawa, but pushed it out of her mind as a prank before turning her attention back to the monitors. Mai blinked in surprise as most of the screens suddenly showed a drop in temperature before ghostly images of people flooded through many of the rooms the cameras showed. Naru and the others were shown to be in a room with no activity so Mai pulled out the walkie-talkie system Naru had set up for them to use in such a large house.

"Naru?" Mai said into the machine a little unsurely.

"Yes, Mai? Is there something on the monitors?" Naru sounded slightly annoyed for some reason.

"Oh, yeah. The rooms on either side of you are filled with spirits right now, along with most of the other rooms, other than the one your in anyway. Oh, and I got that interview with Mrs. Hirotaka. I asked her everything you have written down on the questionnaire sheet you have here."

"You've been busy, Jou-chan. Ok, we're heading for the next room, keep an eye on things," Takigawa's voice came over the small device.

"Roger."

She was interrupted a moment later as the phone went off again. The same number. She flipped it open again as she watched the screens carefully.

"Moshi moshi? This had better not be a prank because I am way to busy to deal with a prank right now."

"Hello, my beautiful daughter."


	8. If We Give It You

**Sorry for the delay but my muse just wasn't talking to me, aka I needed a scary movie for inspiration. As I'm sure I've mentioned before I'm actually a wimp when it comes to scary movies so I had to wait for my friend to watch the new one I bought. Nothing is taken directly from the movie but it did ispire some of the ghosts in the first bit here. muse smacks author 'you weren't supposed to say anything about the ghosts dumbass.' oops, oh well. Anyways, thank you Artemis Bloodshadow for beta reading this, especially that early in the morning, and enjoy folks. I don't think the next chapter should take quite as long since I have 4 days off next week... grrrrr stupid boss.**

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Mai was panicking. No, not just panicking, she was starting to have a full fledged, hyperventilating panic attack. After all the cases she'd been through, it was almost strange to think that a simple voice could do this to her. She hoped it was all her imagination as she stared at her cell phone. She hoped she'd mistaken the voice. That damnable voice that haunted some of her worst nightmares.

"Mai? Why won't you answer me sweetheart? Don't you recognize your father's voice?"

It wasn't a mistake. He'd found a way to contact her.

Mai did the only thing her brain told her to do. She ran. She left the phone in the base and ran whimpering from the room hoping that her feet would take her to Naru. She had to get to Naru. She had to warn him. The others, too. She'd become too close to them, he'd go after them for sure.

Not really watching where she was going Mai entered the room she thought the three men would be in and made it to the middle of the room before she realized that she was the only _living_ occupant in it. Mai made herself stop before she could run headfirst into the ghost that was floating just in front of her. Glancing around, she found herself hard pressed not to scream and she forgot for the time being what had made her run into the room in the first place.

There were at least twenty or more ghosts in the room, but it was those closest to her that frightened her the most. In front of her was the ghost of a woman floating in the air, wearing a long nightgown, with her arms stretched out. Her long hair covered her face like a veil made of solid black. To her left, was one spirit whose age and gender were unidentifiable because it was covered in blood, looking for all it was worth as though it had been skinned. To her right, was a young man holding his own severed head in his lap, while not far from him was what seemed to be a young mother bleeding from her nose, mouth and eyeless sockets as she cradled two blanketed infants to her chest, whispering that it would be alright. As Mai's eyes adjusted to the haze that seemed to perforate the room, she realized that it was not two infants in the woman's arms, but two halves of one child. Mai slowly sunk to the ground as she choked on her sobs.

"You shouldn't have come here." A voice said above her head.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… We're just trying to help. We want to make it possible for you to pass on… Please, you can't want this horror," Mai pleaded looking up to see the hidden faced girl floating even closer to her than before.

"We don't. But the only way out is through _it_ and that is no way out at all."

"What do you mean? You mean that thing beneath the porch? What is it? Please tell me, I want to help you," Mai said, shaking, wanting nothing more than to run.

"Yes, that… You say you want to help?" The voice sounded amused, as though it had just thought up something sadistically fun.

"Yes."

"Well, then. Since the only way out is through _it_, then maybe if we give it you, we can escape while it's busy," the ghost said with a laugh as she reached out to grasp Mai's chin in her hand.

She never managed to touch the young psychic though. Mai screamed and clutched at the pendant around her neck and releasing what felt like a small wave of pure power. The spirits in the room that had been drawing nearer stumbled back, cursing. Mai didn't have time to take a breath for a second scream as the door hurled opened, nearly breaking as it connected with the wall. One figure rushed in towards the cowering Mai as a taller one let out a sharp, piercing whistle which was followed by five glowing orbs scattering in the room to attack the specters. The last thing Mai registered was Naru's familiar voice demanding to know if she was alright as his arms wrapped around her and she slipped from consciousness.

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_"Mai-san…" A child's voice reached her in the inky darkness. _

_"Who..?" _

_"Mai-san…"_

_"Who's calling me?"_

_"Mai-san!"_

_"Kasumi-chan?"_

_"Mai-san? Where are you?" _

_"Kasumi-chan! I'm here, follow my voice!"_

_"Mai-san, I can't! You have to come to me!" The voice was getting quieter._

_"Kasumi-chan?"_

_"You can't stay there. Mai-san, please, you have to come to me! You have to come back! It'll find you if you stay in the darkness!" Kasumi's voice was, Mai realized, getting farther and farther away and the nothingness around her was beginning to feel like it was closing in. _

_"Kasumi-chan, where are you? What do you mean?!"_

_"Mai…" a male voice rasped behind her._

_"Who's there?!" Mai yelped as she whipped around and came face to face with Naru. _

_"Mai…" the voice rasped again._

_"Nar… No… you're not Naru!" Mai yelled, stepping back. _

_"Mai…" the creature growled as its image of her boss began to flake and crumble, leaving a deteriorating corpse. _

_"Mai… mine…" The cadaver stepped forward, reaching for her, causing her to scream and try to run. _

_"Mai!" a more familiar voice echoed through the endless obscurity. _

_"No!" Mai screamed as something shook her body, making her stumble and allowing the corpse-like creature to catch up to her. _

_"Mai! Wake up!" Naru's voice came crashing through her mind, accompanied by a blinding light which drove the monstrous being back. _

Suddenly, she _was_ awake. She slowly opened her eyes and found Naru, Lin, and Takigawa leaning over her. Mai gasped as she sat up and threw her arms around Naru, burying her face into his shoulder crying.

"Mai-san?" Lin's voice was laced with worry.

"Jou-chan? What happened?" Hoshou asked, rubbing her back as Naru gently held her.

"Mai, are you hurt?" Naru's question held unconcealed concern, which was unusual for him.

"I'm sorry…" Mai managed to mumble without removing her face from where it was hidden in the material of her boss' shirt.

"Mai, what happened? The room you sent us to was empty but there was evidence of recent paranormal activity. When we heard you scream, so close to where we were…" Naru stopped what he was saying as though he couldn't put into words just what he'd thought.

"Naru?" Mai pulled back to look at him unsure of the fear she thought she heard in his words.

"Never mind. I told you to stay here. Why did you leave the base? "Naru demanded, behaving more like himself.

Mai sat back and looked around, taking in her surroundings for the first time since she'd woken up. She discovered that she was back in the base, on the couch to be exact, which was becoming a bit of a habit on this mission. A thought came upon her and her eyes immediately searched the room for her phone. The cellular lay seemingly harmless on the table and when she spotted it she couldn't help but flinch.

"Jou-chan, what's wrong?"

"_He_ found me… and then _it_ found me," she said quietly, knowing she wouldn't be able to hide it from them as she had tried to before.

"Mai-san, what do you mean?"

"Kurosawa Nobu… He… he called me. He's found me…" she replied in a stuttering whisper as she drew her knees to her chest and hid her face in them.

"What!?" Hoshou was shocked.

"Did he say he knows were you are, Mai-san, or did he only have your cell phone number?" Lin asked reasonably.

"What do you mean, Lin-san?" Mai inquired, confused.

"Mai, what exactly did he say when he called you?" Naru said, drawing her attention.

"All I remember was him asking if I recognized my 'father's' voice. But if he has my unlisted number, he probably knows I'm here," Mai mumbled, still hiding her face.

"Mai-san, I left no information of where we were going anywhere or with anyone," Lin assured her.

"Did either of you?" Naru directed the question towards the monk and Mai, indicating that he hadn't.

"No, I didn't even tell Ayako," Takigawa responded, placing his hand on Mai's head with a gentle smile he knew she couldn't see.

"Even my brother doesn't know, exactly. He… he said he didn't want to be able to slip up even if Kurosawa found him," Mai murmured softly.

"See, Jou-chan? There's nothing that will lead him here. You're safe here," Takigawa said comfortingly.

Lin simply raised an eyebrow at the word 'safe'. After all, they were in a house full of powerful ghosts, but he supposed that, for now, it was safer than being in the clutches of a homicidal psychopath.

"Mai, what else? You said he found you and then _it_ found you" Naru queried.

"I didn't mean to enter that room. I panicked and I was trying to find you but… but I went in the wrong room a… and those ghosts… I told them that we wanted to help them, but they wanted to feed me to that… that… that horrible creature. When I passed out, I was somewhere dark. Kasumi-chan was calling to me. She told me that _it_ would get me if I stayed there, and it nearly did…" she explained while quietly sobbing.

Suddenly, Naru drew her to his chest, holding her tightly. He was deliberately ignoring the other two as he comforted her, stroking her hair and whispering barely audible reassurances in her ear. To say Mai was startled would be an understatement. This simply wasn't Naru's normal behavior, no matter how much she wished it was at times like this, it just wasn't normal. She looked at Lin in confusion.

"Mai-san, whatever that ghost is it nearly took you. Naru had to anchor your soul to his for a moment to get you away from it," Lin said, explaining why their boss was acting odd and snapping her back to what was happening.

Naru, while nowhere near the danger level he'd reached twice before in her time working with him, was obviously tired and slumping slightly against her even as he still held her and whispered to her. Mai felt something tugging at her mind and closed her eyes, trying to reach for the familiar feeling while making it look like she was falling asleep or just enjoying the moment. Another voice was whispering in her mind. A voice she knew was safe, though she'd never heard it before. It was different from the one that had told her she could levitate objects, especially the locket, but it held the same familiar feeling.

_"Mai, little love, can you hear me? Do not respond aloud just think things and I will hear them." _The voice brushed across her mind like a soft breeze.

_"Yes, I can hear you."_

_"It's time for another lesson, little love. This one you must always be careful of using, though. This man holding you has great power, too much for him to use. It drains his body, leaves him weak. While you cannot siphon it off to a safer level, you can ground his power. You can stabilize him; give him a bit more control of how much power he uses. You MUST be careful, though, as it will drain you in a similar manner. His problem right now is that his power is pushing to be let free since he used it to help you. It is almost, in a way, leaking around his shields. Allow your light to flow through yourself and into him. I will shield you this time so that none of them will know you are doing this. It is not yet time for your abilities to be revealed. Each of our line has had to choose carefully when to make our powers known to those around us. I cannot explain right now, but this is not yet the time for you to do so. Mai, little love, I cannot stress just how much caution you must use when wielding this gift. If you give too much of yourself at one time, you could die. Now, do as I showed you. Give him strength." _

Mai followed the lesson carefully, remembering just how drained she had felt the last time she'd used one of her gifts. Calling the locket to her had knocked her for a loop and left her groggy for the rest of the day. Since she already had the pendant on, though, this shouldn't be quite as difficult. She concentrated on finding her center, her light as her ancestor had called it, and carefully pulled a portion of it towards Naru who was still leaning against her more asleep than awake now. She could feel the shields placed around her and gently pushed the energy towards the young man. Instantly, she felt the change in him. His arms tightened once more before he pulled away and she quickly cut off the link she'd made between them. Opening her eyes, she discretely watched Lin's surprise as Naru got up from where he'd been sitting, on the edge of the couch, and walked over to the monitors to study the information they were gathering. Lin had obviously been expecting to have to take Naru to bed soon, but no one said a word about his strange and sudden recovery. Mai smiled softly and laid where she was for a minute more before getting up also and grabbing the clipboard to record the temperatures the monitors were reading. She was sure they would later talk more about what had happened, and she was sure they would make her phone her brother, but that was later and for now she was content to pretend that this was just another case like any other.


	9. Not So Secret

_**Many thanks to my new beta Miss Koneko. No I didn't get rid of Artemis, she went off to Japan and wouldn't have the time to beta my work. Good luck Artemis! Miss Koneko has made some wonderful changes to my chapter and I hope she'll continue to do so in the future.**_

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"Bou-san, would you come with me to get the temperature readings from the rooms without equipment?" Mai asked after things had calmed down in the base.

Had she not been expecting it, the look the three men shared might have infuriated her. She knew that they were silently asking each other whether or not it was a good idea for Mai to go anywhere, even with one of them with her. After all, she did seem to be a prime target for the ghosts.

"You can do that when you get back Mai." Naru announced ending the silent conversation by turning towards the monitors once again.

"Back from where?" She queried in a falsely sweet voice, trying to make Naru tell her.

She was sure she hadn't been told anything about having to go somewhere, which meant her boss was being uninformative to make her fish for knowledge. It was an old game between the two of them now. He would hint at something to make her ask him to explain. If she didn't know better Mai would swear that Naru simply wanted to extend the conversation with her as long as he could, but that made no sense and she did know better. As far as she could tell he just wanted to feel superior by showing how much smarter he was compared to her.

"The doctor asked you to come back so he could check the cuts, remember? After your checkup, you and Lin can ask around town for any information on this house." Naru stated with a smirk knowing she wouldn't remember.

"Oh, uh, right." She temporized trying to make it seem like she'd just momentarily forgotten.

Lin discreetly raised an eyebrow at Naru before shooting him a knowing look, smiling softly as he placed a hand on Mai's shoulder and led her out to the van. Naru continued scanning the screens, pointedly ignoring them.

Lin and Mai had grown closer over time but it was still a very quiet ride into town for the most part. Just as they neared the office however, the Chinese man decided to speak, startling his passenger from her thoughts.

"Mai-san, has anything strange been happening lately? Other than the ghosts being attracted to you here I mean." He asked softly making her jump.

"How… how do you mean, weird?" Mai stuttered, panicking.

Her thoughts, which had been on the case for most of the ride, suddenly grew chaotic and a little fearful. Did he know what was going on with her? Had he somehow guessed or seen what she could do now, or in her case what she was learning to do? Her last ancestor had told her not to reveal what she was learning yet, but she was sure Lin was trustworthy. Should she come right out and tell him? It might feel good to get it off her chest, but the question remained… _should_ she? She'd kept the secret for so long now, over a month, wouldn't they be angry at her if she only told them now?

"Mai-san, listen please. I know something is going on. It has been for some time now. I'm not going to force you to tell me what it is; I simply want you to know that you can come to me if you need help or advice."

Mai was still too shocked to look at him fully, but a glance out of the corner of her eye let her know just how serious he was. The questions were, then, how did he know and how _much_ did he know? Another thought occurred to her just as he pulled into a parking space at the clinic. Would he tell Naru?

"You needn't look so surprised or worried Mai-san. I won't tell anyone unless it becomes a problem. I merely want you to know that you _can_ come to me for help. After teaching Naru I'm sure I can help you with almost anything. Now, we should go in." Lin said reassuringly as he opened his door and stepped out.

It had been a long speech for the normally quiet man, but it had the desired effect of calming Mai down a little once she got her thoughts in order and her brain caught up to what had been said. He didn't seem to require an answer so she just followed him into the building and waited peacefully until her name was called. This time she went in on her own.

"Taniyama-san, it's good to see you walking on your own. Take a seat please." The doctor said casually pointing to the examination table.

"Let's take a look here. Good idea to wear shorts, by the way. I take it you're still ghost hunting around here? Have you had any trouble?"

The last question shocked Mai a little. Her mind instantly flew to the ghosts that had attacked her earlier at the word trouble. Was he asking about the case? Maybe it was a bad idea to leave Lin in the lobby to talk to the receptionists.

"Um… trouble?" She stalled trying to clear her mind.

"With your leg Taniyama-san. Have you had any unexpected trouble with the lacerations on your leg?" The man expanded with an odd look.

"Oh… no, no trouble. They've stayed closed; haven't really broken open again or anything." She finally answered with a blush as he continued to probe the healing wounds.

"Everything looks like it's coming along just fine. So, if you don't have any complaints, then why don't we get down to the real reason your boss called for a second appointment? You want to see if I have any information about the house you're investigating." He stated simply, motioning her off the table and onto a chair as he sat across from her.

"Naru… ah, Shibuya-shi called and asked for this appointment?" Mai asked a little confused at the bluntness.

At the man's nod things began making a bit more sense. For the first time since she'd come into the clinic Mai took a good look at the physician in front of her. He was around her brother Ryo's age from the looks of him, though not nearly as tall. The look he was giving her was intense, a look of longing but surprisingly not of lust. It was an expression she'd encountered once before, on a case from the previous year - an older man had lost his daughter to illness and though Mai looked nothing like the girl, she was the same age. When the client discovered she was an orphan, he'd had the same look of longing in his eyes. A look that made her uncomfortable in its severity, but harmlessly suggested that he wished to take her in as his own family and protect her from the world. The doctor had that look, though not as powerful as the older man had then, on his face now. The stare told her so much without either of them saying a word.

He'd lost someone close to him, a female if she was any judge of people, and from the intensity that still remained it couldn't have been that long ago.

"Who was she?" Mai asked; trying to be gentle but it came out a little blunt.

"You could tell that quickly? I suppose you asked around town already?" He countered waspishly.

"No, this is our first time out in the town to ask questions. So far we've kept the investigating inside the house and its regular occupants." Mai protested so vehemently that it made the physician stop for a moment.

"Her name was Airi, she was my younger sister." The doctor grudgingly shared.

"What happened to her? It has something to do with what we're investigating, doesn't it?" Her tone softened once again and she reached out to touch the back of his hand for a quick moment, trying to comfort him in a small way.

"Forgive me for snapping at you. I just usually prefer to keep my business my own, and in a small town like this, that can be difficult." He shook his head in dismay, suddenly seeming much older than his true age as he began to relate the sordid tale.

"Yes it does have something to do with that house; at least I believe it does. As do many others. You see Taniyama-san, this used to be quite a thriving city, not well known but enough so that one could go for days without meeting the same person twice by chance. In the last twenty years, ever since the massacre at the hotel you're staying at, people have become afraid and started moving away. It's not just because of that terrible occurrence either. Every year two people, normally young adults but occasionally children and older folk, go up to the cliffs on that piece of property and commit suicide by walking off the edge. No one has been able to prove that it's not suicide as they always leave a note and there are never any signs of a struggle or any other foul play."

"Airi was one of them wasn't she?" Tears threatened to spill from Mai's eyes as she asked the question, dreading the answer she already knew.

"Yes, she was. Last year… March of last year, she walked off the cliff like the others." The young man ground out the words like he was afraid he would choke on them.

Mai was silently trying to stop herself from crying. His pain seemed to be filling up the room and she could feel it pouring off him, though aside from the slight aversion of his eyes, no overt sign of his grief was shown. She reached out and laid her hand on his arm once more, allowing her true sadness and sympathy to show on her face. She showed no pity though; Mai could already tell that this man wouldn't stand for that.

"I know they're not doing this on their own!" His outburst startled her, causing Mai to collide with the back of her seat in surprise as she broke the contact between them.

"What do you mean?" She inquired tentatively when she was sure he wasn't going to continue without prompting.

"I knew every single one of the victims. I've talked to their families, friends, complete strangers that the victims wouldn't have bothered hiding things from, none of them were depressed. The coroner's reports said that there were no signs of drugs in any of their systems, no marks on their bodies, nothing to suggest they weren't in their right minds. None of it makes any sense. My sister had just been discovered by the lady that owns that place now. She had an amazing voice, one that could make you feel the emotion of the song she was singing. That lady, Hirotaka-san, asked my sister to meet her up there at the house because they would be in town that day looking at the hotel to maybe buy it. I asked Airi to reschedule the meeting to somewhere else, anywhere else, but she wouldn't listen to me."

The physician paused for a moment, breathing deeply in an attempt to collect himself before continuing, "Apparently Hirotaka-san got there just in time to see her take the last two steps over the edge. Airi was happy though, too happy to do this to herself. I'm not saying she lived like an angel, Airi had a temper, not everyone liked her, but nobody seemed to hate her enough to do anything to her. She always apologized after she 'blew her top' as my parents used to say. She was thrilled to be discovered, it was her big chance and she was determined not to screw it up. She wanted to sing so badly. I just can't believe she'd kill herself like that. She was just talking to me that morning about how she wanted her life to be after she became rich and famous. She had big dreams but she kept her eyes open to the hardships she'd have to endure to achieve them."

"You're right. It doesn't make any sense that she would kill herself. Saionji-sensei, may I ask why you didn't seem surprised when I told you the other day that it was a ghost that injured me?" The question came when she was sure he wouldn't volunteer any more information.

He gave her a strange studying look, as if he'd assumed she would have already made the connection. The doctor closed his eyes and sat back in his chair massaging his temples seeming to contemplate how to word what he was about to tell her.

"Taniyama-san, while I cannot give you details of who or what the injuries were, I can tell you that you are not in any way the first to tell me that. You're not even in the top fifty of people to tell me that was how they were hurt. That was one of the reasons I didn't want my sister going anywhere near that property. Almost everyone who has set foot in that house, or even on the property, since the mass murder has been injured or killed. The only exceptions are Mr. and Mrs. Hirotaka and their maid and butler. So far your three coworkers seem to be the exception to that. Those that were injured have all told me that it was ghosts that attacked them."

"But then, why do people still go up there? You can't be the only one who knows about this. What do you think is going on, Sensei?" Mai asked vehemently.

"Tell me something, Taniyama-san - can you see ghosts?" The Doctor's features darkened as he spoke, his eyes appearing almost dead, but something in his tone compelled her to answer.

"Yes, sometimes. I'm not a Medium, but sometimes I can see them and hear them. I often dream of their life, or… how they died." She whispered.

"Have you seen her? My Airi? Is she in that… that _place_ still?"

"No, I haven't seen her ghost. But," She stumbled to a stop for a moment wondering how much to tell him,

"But if that's her in the picture on the shelf, then I have dreamt of her. I think she managed to move on, I don't think she's stuck there like the others."

"Stuck? Are you telling me that there are ghosts trapped in that awful place? Damn… damn that would make sense, wouldn't…" His thought trail was broken off abruptly by a knock on the door, and the two shared a look before the Doctor called out an answer.

"Come in."

Mai wasn't surprised to see Lin open and step through the door a moment later, his eyes trained on her, checking for anything inappropriate or some sign of distress. She had found over the years that Lin could be protective and unless it was someone he knew well he didn't like to leave her alone with anyone for extended periods of time. Naru was just as bad at times. Actually, she'd been surprised that Lin had left her with the Doctor for so long (not that Mai figured the man would do anything to her, but she could never get that across to Naru or Lin).

"Ah, Lin-san. I was just finishing up with Taniyama-san here. In fact she's free to go. She's doing fine so long as she doesn't pick the scabs off. Just let them come off on their own and if you do run into trouble don't hesitate to come and see me." The Doctor said standing; clearly indicating that it was time for her to leave.

"Thank you Saionji-sensei." She said catching his eye and bowing slightly before allowing Lin to escort her out of the building.

"I take it you found some information? You were in there quite a while." Lin said blandly though Mai could hear the concern lacing his words.

She related the Doctor's story, surprising her coworker by pulling out a small tape recorder that she'd had hidden. She'd taped the whole conversation and as they drove out of the parking area she carefully switched tapes, labeling the one she'd removed with the physician's name and the day's date, including the time she'd started and ended recording.

"What can I say, Naru has rubbed off on me," She responded to his raised eyebrow before turning in her seat to get a better look at him and asking,

"So, where to next?"

"The library. To look through past obituaries." He answered.


End file.
